Automobile-curtain window.



1. E. SPENCER & A. C. LILLIE.

AUTOMOBILE CURTAIN WINDOW. APPLICATION FILED MAYI5. 1916.

1,21 9,877 Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

I "I ,4 J) d UNITED STATES PATENT .OFFICE.

JOHN E. SPENCER AND ARTfIUR c. LILLIE, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMOBILE-CURTAIN WINDOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

Application filed May 15, 1916. Serial No. 97,705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN E. SPENCER and An'rii UK 0. LILLIE, citizens of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of LosAngeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Automobile-Curtain \Vindows, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to windows for automobile curtains and the like and has for its object the provision of means for supporting glass windows in position in either the flexible or rigid curtains of sides of the vehicle in such a manner that damage to the glass will be prevented as well as the dis placement of the glass from the frames, due to the movement and jar of the vehicle when in motion.

\Ve are of course aware that many forms of frames for supporting transparent substances in such curtains have been heretofore invented and used on vehicles of this character, but it has been generally impracticable to support glass bearing frames in the flexible curtains particularly because of the possibility of breakage, and we, are therefore not aware that any devices embodying our invention as hereinafter set forth with the particular structure and combination of elements, have ever before been used or invented.

The usual mica filled openings in curtains are lacking in ornamentality and are very fragile, and being usually attached to the curtains in such a manner that to replace them involves aconsiderable. amount of trouble. they are thus rendered generally unsatisfactory. It is a further object of our invention to provide, therefore, means whereby a heavy beveled plate glass window may. be firmly attached to the curtains, which will be ornamental as Well as practical.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a front view of an elliptical form of frame, partly in section; Fig. 9. is a plan of the same, partly in section; Fig. 3 is a rear view of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the frame showing the method of attachment to the curtain; Fig. 5 is a view of 'the rear curtain of a vehicle showing the form of frame shown in Fig. 1 attachedthereto; and Fig. 6 is a small view of a circular form of frame and glass.

It should be understood that while only two forms of frames are shown in the drawings, we may construct our frames in any desired form without changing'the method of construction or attachment of the several elements thereof. The frames are composed of one or more segments 1 in the case of the elliptical and round frames shown in the drawings, with the segments sawed or otherwise cut out on the proper are, or of several straight membersin the case of rectangular or oblong frames, the material from which the frame members are made being of wood, preferably, with the grain of the wood extending lengthwise of the members. \Vood inserts 2 with the grain thereof extending at right angles to the grain in the frame menr bers 1 are inserted and glued in suitable gains formed in the ends of the frame or at the corners so as to provide reinforcements at the weak points. In the case of the.

elliptical type of frame shown in Figs. 1 and 2, these inserts are fitted into the frame segments 1 at the opposite points on the long diameter, and they may be doweled into the frame members, if desirable, for affording a greater union of the elements.

The innerportion of one side, of the frame, preferably the front, is provided with a depression 3 which extends entirely around the inner periphery of the frame and serves as a seat for a metal retaining ring-4.

of semi-circular cross section, which is provided with a plurality of regularly spaced lugs 5 on the flat or bottom side of the ring. A plurality of bores 6 which correspond in number to the lugs 5 on the ring 4. are provided in the inner and thinner portion of the frame 1 which receive the lugs 5 of the ring 4:, and in the *ase of a perfectly round frame serve to prevent a movement of the ring on the frame. The back side of the frame 1 has also a. plurality of counterborcs 7 which register with the bores G on the front side of the frame and are connected therewith by means of'smaller bores 8, as shown in Fig. 1, through which smaller bores screws 9 are extended with the heads 10 thereof seating in the counterbores 7 and the threaded ends secured. in suitable threaded apertures 11 in the lugs 5.

The glass 12, which conforms to the shape and size of the inner periphery of the frame 1, is held in the frame between the flat side of the retaining ring 4 and the curtain material 13 which is tacked, or otherwise secured to the four sides of the frame by means of the tacks 14, one or more thicknesses of the curtain material being tacked to the frame, as may berequired for rigidity, and de' iending upon the strength and thick ness ofthe material used. As shown in Fig. i, the frame 1, When attached to the curtain, is entirely, though not, necessarily, covered by the curtain material, two thicknesses being shown attached to the back of the frame and a single thickness being extended over the front of the frame and terminating beneath and being securely clamped to the frame by means of the retaining ring 4, when the screws 9 are screwed tightly into the lugs 5 of the ring 4.

It is apparent that the glass may be 111- serted and emoved from the frame readily, by removing;- the screws 9 from the lugs 5 of the ring 1-, so that the ring may be bodily removed from the frame, the screws and ri ig being replaced when the glass is properly inserted in the frame. W hen the ring 4 is tightly clamped to the frame 1, the glass forced tightly into contact with the soft curtain material 13, thus forming a cushion for the glass and preventing suliicient jar or .iovement thereof in the frame to damage or break the glass When the vehicle is in motion.

l Ve do not limit the use of our vehicle Window to the flexible curtains or vehicle sides, for it may be used with equal efhciency in connection with rigid sides such as are provided with vehicles of the limousine type, the cushioning effect in the Window frame, in such case, being provided by means of a strip of soft material inserted in the :2: ame at the rear of the glass, and the inner peri 3hery of the frame may he rabbeted out to provide a seat for the flat side of t glass. Other alterations may he made in t structure of our device in order to adapt it to use with difi'erent types of cars, and We conceive it to be possible, in such event to incorp such necessary changes, Without enlarg the scope or departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

In an automobile curtain Window combination of a frame iaving; a opening therein, the fabric curtain an opening to receive said frame, tlv of the fabric around the opening h i tnessesz CHARLES H. W 1LT), 

